Published in 1910 from survey data gathered in 1900, the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Highwood” captures a poised moment in the history of Chicago’s North Shore and its inland hinterland. Centered on Glencoe and Highland Park, Illinois, the map presents a finely ordered landscape between Lake Michigan and the Des Plaines River, where suburban settlement, rail connections, rural roads, and open country coexist in revealing detail. Created at a scale of 1:62,500, it bears the disciplined visual language of early twentieth-century USGS cartography: precise lettering, measured contouring, and a balanced hierarchy of roads, waterways, towns, and terrain. As a historical document, it records the region before later waves of suburban expansion transformed much of Lake County and northern Cook County.

The U.S. Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the nation’s authoritative cartographic institution, tasked with mapping the physical character and natural resources of the United States with scientific rigor. By the time this map was published, USGS quadrangles had become indispensable tools for engineers, planners, geologists, landowners, and travelers. “Highwood” reflects that mission beautifully, translating the subtle relief of northeastern Illinois into a readable topographic portrait. The contour lines are especially important in a landscape often perceived as flat, revealing low ridges, drainage patterns, and the gentle rises that shaped roads, farms, and town sites. This is a map made not for ornament alone, but for understanding the land as a living system.

Lake Michigan forms the commanding eastern edge of the map, anchoring the elegant lakefront communities of Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, and Lake Forest. These towns were already developing distinct identities as desirable residential enclaves, tied to Chicago by rail and by the appeal of wooded ravines, lake breezes, and elevated bluffs. Inland, places such as Deerfield, Northfield, Wheeling, Libertyville, and Mundelein appear within a more agrarian and transitional landscape. Roads and settlement patterns show the early framework of modern suburbia before highways and dense development redrew the region. The inclusion of sites such as Highland Park Golf Club and Sherwood Park hints at the growing importance of leisure, landscape design, and suburban refinement along the North Shore.

The map’s waterways are equally evocative, tracing a geography shaped by lakes, marshes, streams, and river corridors. The Des Plaines River winds through the western portion of the sheet, marking one of the defining natural features of northeastern Illinois. Smaller bodies and features, including Gage’s Lake, Belden Straits, and nearby lowlands, suggest the glacial origins of the region, where retreating ice left behind moraines, wetlands, and irregular drainage. Fort Hill and other named elevations offer subtle but meaningful landmarks in the terrain. Through its contouring and hydrography, the map reveals how settlement followed dry ground, transportation routes, and natural corridors, preserving a picture of the land before modern infrastructure obscured many of these relationships.

As a record of urban and geographic development, “Highwood” is particularly compelling. It shows northern Illinois at a threshold: no longer purely rural, but not yet absorbed into the continuous metropolitan fabric of greater Chicago. Streets, structures, rail lines, and named communities indicate a region being organized for growth, while expanses between towns still speak of farms, estates, woods, and undeveloped ground. For collectors, historians, and admirers of the North Shore, the map offers more than location; it offers atmosphere. Its restrained USGS style gives every feature authority, from Lake County place names to the disciplined contours of the land. The result is a sophisticated cartographic portrait of a celebrated Illinois landscape at the dawn of the twentieth century.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Glencoe
• Highland Park
• Lake Michigan
• Des Plaines River
• Lake Forest
• Lake County
• Northfield
• Wheeling
• Libertyville
• Deerfield
• Skokie
• Highland Park Golf Club
• Belden Straits
• Gage's Lake
• Mundelein
• Fort Hill
• Sherwood Park
• Mineola

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the U.S. Geological Survey, established in 1879 to provide reliable scientific information about the natural resources, natural hazards, geology, and topography of the United States.
• Based on survey data from 1900 and published in 1910.
• Prominently features Glencoe and Highland Park, Illinois, along with surrounding areas.
• Drawn at a scale of 1:62,500.
• Employs the characteristic early 20th-century USGS topographic style, including contour lines and clear labeling.
• Shows detailed elevation through contour lines, along with water bodies, streets, and structures.
• Provides historical insight into the region’s geographical and urban development, including land use, population distribution, and infrastructure changes.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.